Colorado Waterwise: An interview with Reagan Waskom

WW: Regarding water resources and conservation, what do you feel are the biggest challenges facing Colorado?

I’ll separate these two issues because I see them as somewhat distinct. Regarding water resources, the challenge is living within the limits imposed by our climate, while our economy and population grows. If we do not figure out how to live within these limits, the losers will be the environment and agriculture, which I think are the two greatest assets we have in Colorado. Sure, this is partially about conservation, but it is also about growth and what we value in this state. Water quality is a big part of this equation – as humans divert and discharge we degrade the aquatic resources in Colorado. Nutrients, sediment, mercury, selenium and temperature concern me the most for Colorado, but we’ll have to deal with emerging contaminants sooner or later.

Regarding conservation, as a state we still have lots we can do. Per capita water use values revealed by the SWSI 2010 study are all over the map – from several hundred gpcd to less than 100 gpcd. Statewide values are 172 gpcd, which I think shows many Colorado communities can still tighten up their water use.